Water scarcity is essentially caused by the spatiotemporal mismatch of water availability and water withdrawal. However, existing studies are still insufficient in revealing the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of global water scarcity and its influencing factors. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap. We found that there was strong spatiotemporal variability in water scarcity and its influencing factors, making it more difficult to solve such problems and achieve sustainable development. The annual water-scarce population accounted for 26.94% of the global population in 2014, while the monthly water-scarce population was approximately twice that. The global water-scarce population was the largest in June (34.51% of the total population). Middle- and low-latitude countries in the Northern Hemisphere, such as Pakistan, Mexico and Iran, were hotspots of water scarcity. From 1960 to 2014, the proportion of the water-scarce population increased by 15.41%, and the relative contributions of irrigation, domestic, and industrial water withdrawal were 35.28%, 24.28%, and 17.02%, respectively. In most developed countries, industrial water withdrawal was the main influencing factor. In several Southern Hemisphere countries, domestic water withdrawal was the most influential factor. In most Asian countries, the impact of irrigation water withdrawal was considerable. In addition, the impacts of water availability and irrigation water withdrawal were greatest in July, while the impacts of domestic and industrial water withdrawal were greatest in December. The relative contributions of water availability and irrigation water withdrawal were highly variable in Iran, Pakistan and India. The monthly variability in industrial water withdrawal was high in European countries. There was high variability in all influencing factors in China and some Central Asian countries. According to the variability of water scarcity and influencing factors, water-scarce countries should take place-based and time-based measures to effectively address water scarcity and promote sustainable development.
 

Water security; Water scarcity; Climate change; Socioeconomic development; Seasonal; Landscape sustainability

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